Area Legislators Applaud Reinstatement of Blue Collar Jobs Act

Area legislators are applauding the reinstatement of the Blue Collar Jobs Act, which aims to bring good paying jobs to Illinois through a series of income tax credits for qualified capital investments in the construction of new or improved property.  Representatives Dave Severin and Patrick Windhorst were original sponsors of the legislation.  Windhorst says it’s great to see the governor implementing the program. 

“We believe it’s going to do a lot to improve the business climate of Illinois.  To make Illinois the place we belive it can be…a great place to raise a family, live, work and do business by making our state more attractive.  It should help bring people to Illinois, bring business to Illinois, and overall improve our economic condition in Illinois.”

Severin said it’s time to bring out the program that’s been worked on for years.

“Well it’s time that we bring to fruition what we’ve worked on for years.  It was supposed to go and it stopped.  I’m excited to see something done correctly for once, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Senator Terri Bryant says she’s encouraged to see the bill finally being implemented after years of delay. 

“I was proud to vote in support of the Blue Collar Jobs Act back when I was still in the House, and I am encouraged to see it finally being implemented after years of delay,” said Sen. Bryant. “The Blue Collar Jobs Act will create new jobs and economic opportunities for Illinoisans. This is a program that should’ve never been frozen during a time that so many Illinois families were struggling to find jobs and make ends meet.”

On May 17, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that applications are now open for eligible companies. Learn more about the bill and how to take advantage of it below.

Businesses can apply here. Additionally, DCEO is offering a webinar to share details regarding the program application process on Monday, June 26, 2023, from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Click here to register. 

The Blue Collar Jobs Act includes: 

1. High Impact Business (HIB) Construction Jobs Credit: Equals 50% of the incremental income tax attributable to qualified construction jobs for a designated HIB taxpayer during the construction period with an investment of at least $12 million.
2. Enterprise Zone (EZ) Construction Jobs Credit: Equals 50% of the incremental income tax attributable to qualified construction jobs for approved capital investments of at least $10 million located in an EZ during the construction period.
3. River Edge (RE) Construction Jobs Credit: Equals 50% of the incremental income tax attributable to qualified construction jobs for approved rehabilitation plan of at least $ 1 million located in a RE during the construction period (applicable for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2021).
4. New Construction Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Credit: Discretionary credit for up to 50% of the incremental income tax attributable to qualified construction jobs during the construction period for approved capital investment projects over $10 million.